Paper-making machine wire cloth

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a paper-making machine wire cloth comprised of an individual woven cloth for the paper side ( 12 ) and an individual woven cloth for the running side ( 14 ), whereby each woven cloth consists of a set of weft threads ( 16; 20 ) and warp threads ( 18; 22 ). The diameters and the number of paper side and running side warp threads ( 18; 22 ) are essentially equal, and the paper side warp threads ( 18 ) and weft threads ( 16 ), together, form a plain weave. In order that at least a portion of the running side threads ( 22 ) passes into the paper side ( 12 ), extends over the subsequent paper side weft thread ( 16 ) and, afterwards, returns to the running side ( 14 ) each time at a location ( 24 ), at which this warp thread ( 22 ) is located above at least one assigned running side weft thread ( 20 ), a marking-free paper side is achieved in the plain weave while simultaneously improving the surface uniformity. A compact binding of the individual woven cloth is effected without the use of additional binding threads, whereby largely avoiding a layer separation of the individual woven cloth or an offset of the same with regard to one another.

[0001] The invention relates to a paper making machine wire cloth consisting of an individual fabric for the paper side and an individual fabric for the backing side, each consisting of one set of weft threads and warp threads, the diameter and the number of the paper side and backing side warp threads being more or less equal and the paper side warp threads and weft threads together forming a linen weave.

[0002] Use is made in the paper manufacturing industry of an increasing number of high-capacity paper machines with speeds of up to 2,000 m/min and operating widths exceeding 10 m. As a general rule, the sheet forming unit is configured as a double-cloth former, and in many cases as a split former. It is characteristic of the machines that the sheet forming process takes place immediately between two paper making cloths in a relatively short drainage zone. Because of this short distance and the high production speed, the time for sheet forming is reduced to a few milliseconds. The solid component or dry content of the fiber suspension must be increased from about 1 percent to approximately 20 percent. The significance for the paper making wire cloths is that they must possess a very high drainage capacity and yet leave no marks in the paper while providing high fiber support.

[0003] Another important point is the transverse stability of the cloth tension, which is important for the uniformity of the thickness and water content profile of the paper web. The requirements set in this connection are very high precisely in the case of modern machines with large operating widths. Forming strips which are mounted alternately on the backing sides of the cloths and are pressed against them are now used in the sheet forming zone with increasing frequency to improve formation. This results in rapidly changing bowing of the covering of the wire cloths in the longitudinal direction.

[0004] At present an effort is usually made to meet these requirements by using composite fabrics. One composite fabric used for the purpose is described, for example, in DE 42 29 828 C2. The conventional paper making machine wire cloth used for the purpose consists of two stacked cloth fabrics which make up at least one layer and are interconnected by binding threads extending in the transverse and/or longitudinal directions, one of the cloth fabrics being configured as definition fabric having the mechanical properties of the composite fabric with respect to extension and rigidity and the other cloth fabric as reaction fabric characterized by greater extension and lower rigidity than the definition fabric. The cloth fabrics in question thus consist of warp and weft threads, these threads being interconnected by additional binding threads. Internal wear and especially wear of the binding threads is counteracted, the service life of the composite fabric thereby increased, and undesirable separation of the cloth fabric layers prevented over a longer period as a result of design of the cloth fabric layers as reaction and definition cloth. The internal wear of a composite fabric is due in particular to the circumstance that the individual cloth fabric layers are stretched or buckled to a varying extent during reversals of the wire cloth such as occur in the area of guide rollers or wire section over which the composite cloth is guided.

[0005] Since the binding threads in question do not belong to the fabric structure but rather are independent components, they are kept thin in diameter in order to disrupt the drainage as little as possible. But when suitable high stresses occur the possibility exists that the thin binding threads will split and the connection between the cloth fabrics will be lost. In the case of a generic paper making machine wire cloth as specified in EP 0 432 413 B1, which also is configured as a composite fabric, it has indeed already been proposed that use be made of two threads of the fabric itself and that they be woven into the other fabric layer to form X-shaped intersections in order to avoid the disadvantages of the state of the art as described, but undesirable stiffening of the disclosed fabric results from the accumulation itself of the disclosed intersections in the transverse direction. Significant differences in length may occur especially over longer weaving lengths; these differences may in turn be expressed in differences in tension, with the result that the binding threads specific to the cloth may also break and may result in failure of the conventional paper making machine wire cloth. In addition, with this conventional special weave it is more or less possible only to process transverse threads of one type, that is, transverse threads with more or less the same diameter compositions, something which reduces the possibility of effective support on the backing side. Production of the conventional composite fabrics as described is also costly.

[0006] EP 0 698 682 A1 discloses a fabric consisting of a system of face wefts, back wefts, and warps, the latter being made up of a system pair of a first and a second type of warp threads. The warp threads of the first type are interwoven with the face wefts and at predetermined distances intermittently also with the back wefts. Warp threads of the second type extend between the face and back wefts and bind with the face wefts at the point at which the first warp thread belonging to the pair binds with the back weft. Consequently, the warp threads are then positioned one directly above the other, except at the point at which the second warp threads bind with the face weft. As a result of this proximate state of the art, in the case of a paper making machine wire cloth, while surface uniformity on the paper side is improved, separation of the layers or shifting of the layers of fabric in relation to each other cannot be completely excluded.

[0007] On the basis of this state of the art the object of the invention is further to improve paper making machine wire cloths of the type discussed above so that such cloths will have longer service lives with the same quality scales for paper manufacture and also will be cost effective in production. The object as thus formulated is attained by a paper making machine wire cloth having the characteristics specified in claim 1 in its entirety.

[0008] In that, as specified in the characterizing part of claim 1, at least one part of the backing side warp threads is always positioned at a point at which this warp thread is positioned above at least one associated backing side weft thread, changes to the paper side and extends over the following paper side weft thread, and then returns to the backing side, first of all a paper side free of marking is achieved in the case of linen weave, along with improvement in the surface uniformity. In addition, a compact bond of the individual fabrics without additional binding threads is obtained in this way, separation of the layers of the individual fabrics or shifting of these layers relative to each other being largely excluded. Consequently, long service lives accompanied by high production quality can be achieved in paper production by the paper making machine wire cloth claimed for the invention and production of the paper making machine wire cloth is then cost effective as well.

[0009] One preferred embodiment of the paper making machine wire cloth claimed for the invention is characterized in that a minimum of four associated backing side weft threads support the change position in the area of change of the backing side warp thread from the backing side to the paper side and from the latter back to the backing side. Use may be made on the backing side of the weft threads which result in high transverse stability within the fabric bond and form a corresponding volume of abrasion, something which increases the service life of the paper making machine wire cloth. Preferably provision is also made such that the linen weave is designed as a longer floating weave, this improving the surface uniformity in paper production.

[0010] In one especially preferred embodiment of the paper making machine wire cloth claimed for the invention there is mounted between the four backing side weft threads making up a first group and a second group with two backing side weft threads in the direction of the paper side warp thread above a backing side warp thread a backing side weft thread which supports a paper side weft thread over which the paper side warp thread is guided. The support points thus formed yield a high degree of stability in relation to the two individual fabric layers of the wire cloth under consideration.

[0011] The direction of support preferably is designed to extend from the paper side and backing side transversely to the planes of lower and upper fabric; as an alternative, provision may be made such that the direction of support extends in an alternating diagonal arrangement in relation to the fabrics. As a result of the diagonal arrangement selected, the supporting forces are introduced into the lower fabric so that separation of the layers or displacement of the fabrics can definitely be effectively countered. The latter applies in particular if, with the support configuration extending diagonally, the consecutive weft threads of the paper side come to be spaced a greater distance from each other than do the associated supporting weft threads of the backing side.

[0012] Other advantageous embodiments are specified in the dependent claims.

[0013] The paper making machine wire cloth claimed for the invention is described in detail in what follows. In the drawing, in the form of diagrams not drawn to scale,

[0014]FIG. 1 presents a longitudinal section along line I-I of a first embodiment of the paper making machine wire cloth shown in FIG. 2;

[0015]FIG. 2 the paper side of the first embodiment with a pick ratio of 1:1;

[0016]FIG. 3 a cross-section along line II-II of the first embodiment in FIG. 4, the backing side being on the bottom;

[0017]FIG. 4 the backing side of the first embodiment of the paper making machine wire cloth as viewed from below;

[0018]FIG. 5 a longitudinal section along line III-III in FIG. 6 and along line IV-IV in FIG. 7, both relating to a second embodiment of the paper making machine wire cloth;

[0019]FIG. 6 the paper side of the second embodiment with a pick ratio of 3:2;

[0020]FIG. 7 the backing side of the second embodiment of the paper making machine wire cloth as viewed from below;

[0021]FIGS. 8 and 9 the first embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 with a pick ratio of 1:1, in which the weft sequence is repeated after 16 picks or in which one weft sequence with tie-in is interrupted by a weft sequence without tie-in;

[0022]FIG. 10 the second exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 with a pick ratio of 3:2 (upper to lower weft), in which the weft sequence is repeated after 20 picks.

[0023] The figures cited above show to some extent differing embodiments of cloth fabrics for a paper making machine wire cloth not shown in its entirety, a wire cloth which may be used in particular for the so-called sheet-forming zone in conventional paper manufacturing machines. The cloth fabric in question consists of an individual fabric for the paper side 12 and an individual fabric for the backing side 14. The paper side 12 consists of a set of weft threads 16 and warp threads 18. The backing side 14 as well consists of a set of weft threads 20 and warp threads 22. As is to be seen in particular in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, the paper side warp threads 18 and the associated weft threads 16 together form a linen weave. It is also to be seen from the figures that the diameters and the number of the paper side and backing side warp threads 18, 22 are more or less the same. The backing side warp thread 22 moves at a change point identified as a whole by 24 from the backing side 14 to the paper side 12 and then returns to the backing side 14. In the area of this change of the backing side warp thread 22 from the backing side 14 to the paper side 12 and from it back to the backing side 14 the change point 24 is supported by four weft threads 20 adjacent in one plane. In addition, there is mounted between these four backing side weft threads 20 forming a first group 26 and a second group 28 having two backing side weft threads 20 in the direction of the paper side warp thread 18 above a backing side warp thread 22 a backing side weft thread 20 which supports a paper side weft thread 20 which supports a paper side weft thread 16 over which the paper side warp thread 18 is guided.

[0024] As is shown in FIGS. 1, 8, and 9, the direction of support may extend from paper side and backing side weft threads 16, 20 transversely to the planes of lower and upper fabrics in the form of the paper side 12 or the backing side 14. As is shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, however, the direction of support may extend in an alternating arrangement diagonal relative to the fabrics 12, 14 referred to. The decisive factor is that, for the purpose of forming a support point identified by 30 as a whole, a paper side weft thread 16 thinner in cross-section is supported by a backing side weft thread 20 thicker in cross-section and that the support point 30 in question is supported on top and on the bottom by the paper side warp threads 18 and the backing side warp threads 22 together. The respective support point 30 may be formed directly in that the weft threads 16 and 20 are stacked, but, as is shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, they may be constantly separated by a predetermined distance and optionally brought together only when a load is applied so as to make the support possible. In the case of a diagonally extending support layout in particular the stacked weft threads 16 on the paper side 12 are spaced farther apart than the associated supporting weft threads 20 on the backing side 14.

[0025] The backing side warp and weft threads 20, 22 normally form a long-floating eight-shaft bottom in which the wefts are doubly tied in, that is, tied in by two adjacent warp threads. The bonding of paper side 12 to backing side 14 thus is such that the respective backing side warp thread 22 is in a predetermined position at which it changes by way of the four backing side weft threads 20 of the first group 26 to the paper side 12 and there extends over the paper side weft 16. Since the linen weave normally does not have the room additionally to accommodate this changing warp thread 22, since it would then close the respective mesh, the paper side warp thread 18 is at the same time eliminated from the top side and extends, as is shown in the partial diagram in FIG. 1, under three paper side weft threads 16.

[0026] As a result, the backing side fabric 14 is bonded to the paper side 12 and, since the paper side warp extends below the top side at the respective tie-in point, the backing side warp assumes the function of filling out the paper side surface along with that of effecting tie-in. The paper side structure is maintained to the greatest extent possible, as is shown in FIG. 2 in particular. Since the rise of the backing side bond to the tie-in points 32 is absorbed in the paper side 12, the tie-in points 32, as is shown in part in FIG. 2, are distributed evenly in the repeat pattern. The respective tie-in points 32 accordingly ensure that the structure of the lower fabric, that is, the backing side 14, is not harmfully altered. In addition, the double tie-in of the backing side wefts increases the stability of the fabric as a whole as regards so-called diagonal shifting, which occurs when the tensile load is unevenly distributed over the width of the fabric. Such uneven distribution occurs especially with great machine widths, for which it cannot always be ensured that the driving and frictional forces will occur uniformly over the entire width. The point is then reached at which the wire cloth may be warped to some extent; in the worst case this results in reduction of the width of the wire cloth and accordingly to rendering the paper making machine wire cloth unserviceable.

[0027] During production as well as during running of a paper making machine wire cloth the longitudinal threads 18, 22, that is, the warps, are subject to tensile loading. In a normal linen weave the forces applied in different directions are equalized by the inversely juxtaposed warp threads, so that a resultant force arises in the plane of the fabric and no uneven deformations of the surface occur. However, if a face weft is woven with the backing warp, as is the case with the paper making machine wire cloth claimed for the invention, a vertical force component is added, one which can only inadequately be equalized by the paper side wefts and the upper warps extending beside them. The lower warp then pulls the upper weft into the fabric and the paper side is dented. Application of the layer bonding claimed for the invention has the result of preventing the possibility of longitudinal bends of the fabric in the paper machine resulting in displacement of the two individual fabrics and accordingly in inner wear accompanied by ultimate layer separation. The neutral bending line 34 is shown in FIG. 1 along with the bending line 36 of the upper fabric and the bending line 38 for the lower fabric. The bending force introduced into the paper making machine wire cloth, indicated by an arrow marked AF, ≅ is also shown in FIG. 1, the corresponding fixed supports in the lower fabric being represented by two stylized triangular supports. FIG. 1 also makes it clear that when bending force F is applied to the change point 24 by junction of the three bending lines 34, 36, 38 in the area of the paper side weft thread 16 positioned below the point of application of the force and is absorbed between the warp threads 18 and 22, a sort of articulated or desired bending point is formed which counteracts separation of the layers.

[0028] The bonding concept claimed for the invention may be applied to the widest variety of weft relationships of upper to lower fabric, with the result that the properties of the cloths with respect to openness (drainage capacity), stability, and volume of abrasion (transit time) may be adapted to the greatest extent possible to meet the particular requirements of the paper machine. Virtually any distribution of the frequency and setting of the tie-in points 32 and so optimization of the strength of the bond may be effected by way of the weft sequence. In contrast, if the bonding is carried out in the transverse direction, as is reflected in the state of the art, a limit is imposed by the finite number of shafts.

[0029]FIG. 8 presents as an example a section of a paper making machine wire cloth with a pick ratio of 1:1, the weft sequence being repeated after 16 picks. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 9 a weft sequence with tie-in is interrupted by a weft sequence without tie-in, the warp threads positioned adjacent to them in one plane being overlapped so that uniform distribution is still maintained. In the exemplary embodiment as shown in FIG. 10, there is a pick ratio of 3:2, in which the weft sequence is repeated after 20 picks. The exemplary embodiments discussed in the foregoing represent only a part of the potential variety and application for the paper making machine wire cloth claimed for the invention. 

1. A paper making machine wire cloth consisting of an individual fabric for the paper side (12) and an individual fabric for the backing side (14) each consisting of a set of weft threads (16; 20) and warp threads (18; 22), the diameter and number of the paper side and backing side warp threads (18; 22) being more or less the same and the paper side warp threads (18) and weft threads (16) forming an interconnected linen weave, characterized in that at least one part of the backing side warp threads (22) is always positioned at a point (24) at which this warp thread (22) changes by way of at least one associated backing side weft thread (20) to the paper side (12), extends over the following paper side weft thread (16), and then returns to the backing side (14).
 2. The paper making machine wire cloth as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least four associated backing side weft threads (20) support the change point (24) in the area of change of the backing side warp thread (22) from the backing side (14) to the paper side (12) and from the latter back to the backing side (14).
 3. The paper making machine wire cloth as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the linen weave is designed as a longer floating weave.
 4. The paper making machine wire cloth as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein a backing side weft thread (20) which supports a paper side weft thread (16) over which a paper side warp thread (18) is guided is mounted between the four backing side weft threads (20) forming a first group (26) and a second group (28) having two backing side weft threads (20) in the direction of the paper side warp thread (18) above a backing side warp thread (22).
 5. The paper making machine wire cloth as claimed in claim 4, wherein the direction of support of paper side and backing side weft thread (16, 20) extends transversely to the planes of upper and lower fabric or wherein the direction of support extends in alternating arrangements diagonally relative to the fabrics.
 6. The paper making machine wire cloth as claimed in claim 5, wherein, in the case of a support arrangement (30) extending diagonally, the consecutive weft threads (16) of the paper side (12) are spaced a greater distance from each other than are the associated supporting weft threads (20) of the backing side (14).
 7. The paper making machine wire cloth as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an odd number of paper side weft threads (16) is always positioned between the change points (24) of the backing side warp thread (22).
 8. The paper making machine wire cloth as claimed in claims 1 to 7, wherein the weft sequences with change points (24) are interrupted by weft sequences without change points (24).
 9. The paper making machine wire cloth as claimed in one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the weft threads (20) on the backing side (14) are greater in diameter than the cross-section of the respective weft thread (16) on the paper side (12) which may be associated with them.
 10. The paper making machine wire cloth as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the bending lines (36; 38) of upper fabric and lower fabric and the neutral bending line (34) converge at the change point (24), thus forming a sort of link point which counteracts harmful separation of layers. 